Dell

Dell is moving full speed ahead with its rush to deliver Ubuntu Linux on a bunch of upcoming laptops and desktops, but there's a potential problem looming: Multimedia support on the machines may be spotty.

Dell will not include open-source software such as Wine, which lets users run Windows programs on Linux, with the PCs it plans to bundle with Ubuntu Linux, Mark Shuttleworth, the founder of Ubuntu and its commercial sponsor Canonical, said May 3.

The PC supplier said on Tuesday it would sell machines with Ubuntu Linux pre-installed later this month. But Dell has told ZDNet UK that the systems will be only be sold in the US for now. It refused to reveal any timescale for the sale of such systems in the UK.

"So, Dell has chosen the business model of community support, with optional paid support provided by Canonical. In my opinion a smart move because it would have been very hard for Dell to quickly and adequately offer Linux support through their phone helpdesk."